Weren't you ever a teenager Sage?
by AbSim7
Summary: In which Adrian teaches Sydney to sleep in. Pre kiss.
1. Chapter 1

"Adrian!" I called, banging on his door. _Knock, knock, knock. _"Adrian I know you're in there."

I heard a rustling from inside the door, a groan and a cracking of muscles. It sounded like he was still in bed, which made me feel a little bad for waking him up but it was time to get up anyway. He opened the door to his bedroom slowly.

"Jesus Sage, where's the fire?" he said groggily. His hair was unkempt and not in his usual this-messy-hair-took-me-hours-to-do-so-don't-touch-it kind of way, but more like actual bed head. He was leaning forward slightly with his right hand clutching the door frame as if that was all that was holding him up. That's when I noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt.

My breath caught slightly and for a second I stopped thinking before chiding myself. _Stop it Sydney. _It's not like this was the first time I'd seen Adrian shirtless after all we've been through wasn't it? No. _No it definitely was._ I told myself to snap out of, I mean I had noticed before that Adrian was good-looking but I hadn't known how fit he was, you'd think all the alcohol would make him pack on a few but no. He was kind of… hot and totally unfair. If I had those eating habits I'd be a size 12 for sure. Too bad he was an undead creature of the night, I reminded myself of this.

Thankfully he didn't seem to notice my inner tirade as he was still bleary from just getting up. "No fire." I responded glad to see my voice sounding steady even though my heart was beating rather quickly. _What was wrong with me? _"It's just time to get up."

"Sage, you're crazy. What time is it?" I shrugged and he looked down at his wrist.

"You wear a watch when you sleep?" I asked archly.

He shrugged, still squinting at it. "I forgot to take it off." I rolled my eyes, typical Adrian. "It's 7AM!" He exclaimed suddenly. I looked at him blankly, what was the big deal? "7AM! Oh my god Sydney is the sun even up yet?"

"Of course it is." I scoffed. "This is the time everyone wakes up, quit overreacting."

"Everyone? Maybe everyone over the age of 65." He groaned. "It's 7am… on a Saturday. Haven't you ever heard of sleeping in?"

"My dad always said proficiency begins when the birds start to sing." I shrugged. "I always get up this early – you can get so much more done during the day."

Adrian gaped at me. "So what you're saying is you've never slept in?"

I shrugged. "It's never fit into my schedule."

Adrian put his fingers to his temples as if explaining something to a small child. "That's not the point Sage. Were you never a teenager?"

"Of course I was." I said primly.

Adrian barked out a laugh and then opened the door wide. "Come in for a sec." I stepped into his bedroom. It was messier than his living room but cleaner than I expected, as I was beginning to associate with Adrian, the scent of pine cleaner pervaded the air. His room was dark with just a hint of light peeking in from behind the blinds.

He reached for his night table and grabbed a bottle of some sort of alcohol. "Want a drink?" He asked.

I screwed up my face. "As you have pointed out three times now, its seven o'clock in the morning."

Adrian shrugged. "Just being polite." He grabbed a shirt from the floor and threw it over his head. Strangely, I felt a pang of disappointment. "I assume you need me for something?" came his muffled voice before his head popped out of his T shirt.

"Actually, no." I said slowly.

"So what made you decide to disturb my sleep so early?"

That was a good question. Now that I thought about it, I had kind of come here automatically, without thinking. I guess I had just wanted to see him. Weird. I came up with an excuse anyway.

"I took Jill over for a feeding and you know how creepy Clarence's house is." My excuse was feeble – surely there was something better I could be doing. I turned to leave. "It's fine though, you go back to sleep I'll just-"

"No." Adrian said quickly, moving to block the door. "You work too much Sage. You need to relax." He pointed to his bed. "Try sleeping in for once."

"No, no Adrian don't be ridiculous I have things to do." I made a move to leave, but he blocked me taking a step so he was standing right in front of me.

"Clearly you don't." he murmured softly, looking down at me with his deep, green eyes. "If you came all the way over here just to see me then you have nothing better to do at all."

He continued gazing into my eyes and it was like we were connected somehow. He grabbed my hand and led me over to the bed. I sat down without thinking. "Adrian this is silly." I protested but he shushed me.

"Just try. For me."

I huffed but didn't say anything.

"I'll make coffee." He said and then let go of my hand. "Sweet dreams." He said before leaving.

I rolled my eyes and turned towards the bed. It was actually really comfortable. I reached across it trying to fix the comforter thinking I could at least make the bed while Adrian insisted on being ridiculous. It was really comfortable. I shut my eyes. Just for a second I thought. But his pillow just smelled _so _good and before I knew it, I was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N – Part of the idea for this chapter came from the user ****Leia 96 who probably doesn't remember because it was sooooo long ago but thank you anyway! **

**Adrian's POV**

"Sydney!" I called out. "Sydney, coffee's ready." When she didn't respond I walked over to my bedroom and lightly pushed the door open. "Sydney?" The light from the hallway illuminated the room slightly, revealing the pale, blonde girl sound asleep on my bed.

I couldn't believe it, but she had actually fallen asleep like I told her to. I figured she'd have been too freaked out by being so intimate with a moroi's living space. But God, she was so beautiful lying there. It made me want to paint her.

Sydney asleep was so different from Sydney awake. She was sprawled across the bed, disarrayed in a way she never was in her otherwise orderly life. She looked extremely comfortable. Her face - usually so worried and thoughtful as she tried to puzzle something out - was completely blank, relaxed. She was even smiling a little, and that small smile made my stomach swoop. It made me think that if I could see that smile beside me every night, I would never ask for anything else again.

Was I Adrian Ivashkov, party-moroi-extraordinaire, falling in love with this human girl? This girl so unlike me in so many ways? And yet she listened to me, she believed in me in a way no one ever had. The answer was yes. I was falling in love with Sydney Sage and there was no way to stop it.

I stepped into the room, trying not to make any sound. I picked up the blanket from the floor where it had fallen when she woke me up at 7 that morning. Gently, I lay the blanket on top of her and I've got to admit, leaning over her like that, with her in my bed, well, it made me think things that if Sydney could hear my thoughts would definitely make her smack me. I wanted to kiss her on the forehead but I figured it would make her uncomfortable if she knew. Sighing, I left the room, allowing myself one last wistful look. Closing the door behind me, I wondered why I always fell in love with girls who had difficulty loving me back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sydney's POV**

I woke up from the most comfortable sleep I'd had in a long time feeling sweaty but content. It took me awhile to realize I wasn't where I was supposed to be, but it was the scent that finally tipped me off. _What was that smell?_ It smelled _so _good. I smushed my face into the unfamiliar yellow pillow and inhaled. _Mmmm. It smelled like… It smelled like… _Oh God! Adrian!

I bolted upright, suddenly remembering where I was. I hadn't meant to sleep at all. I got to my feet and walked out the bedroom door.

"Adrian?" I called out groggily?

"Good morning Sleeping Beauty." Came an amused voice to my left. I spun around to see him standing behind an easel, only the back of the canvas revealed to me.

"What are you working on?" I asked him.

"Oh, uh, nothing." His hand went behind his neck. "Just something I, uh, thought of earlier."

He seemed nervous, which was odd for Adrian and I would have pressed the point further if it hadn't been for my sleep-addled brain. "I thought you were making coffee?" I frowned.

Adrian chuckled. "I did make coffee – about four hours ago."

"Four hours? But…" For the first time I took in my surroundings and was startled to find bright sunlight streaming in through the apartment windows. "Adrian!" I gasped out. "What time is it?"

"11:30"

"11:30!?" I screeched, vaguely aware of him walking over to me. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"Sage, I-"

"This is not good Adrian, not at all." I was starting to panic now. If the alchemists somehow found out I'd been _sleeping in a vampire's bed _for four hours I'd lose my job. Worse than that – I'd be sent to re-education for sure.

"If you'd just let me-"

"I was supposed to pick up Jill hours ago and –"

"Sydney!" I don't know what surprised me more – the earnest use of my first name or Adrian's hands on my shoulders. "Stop worrying. I picked up Jill for you already and drove her back to the school."

"You- you did?" Relief sank into me as his words did.

"Yes. Relax. Breathe. Everything's fine." He sounded faintly amused even though he was trying to reassure me.

"Well I – Thank you." I wasn't sure what to say. Nobody ever really helped me out with my job. It was almost… touching. I took a breath. "You still should've woken me up though."

His hands dropped from my shoulders. "Come on Sage," The typical-Adrian teasing voice had returned "admit that you enjoyed your first lesson in teenagerhood."

I cracked a grin. "Actually, I did. Got anymore lessons?"

"Oh Sage. There is _a lot _I want to teach you."


End file.
